Athletes use a variety of protective helmets and pads when engaging in sports. For example, athletes engaged in football, lacrosse, hockey, auto racing and equestrian competition routinely use helmets for head protection. Safety standards for protective gear frequently conflict with other concerns, such as comfort. As a result, many head and neck guards sacrifice comfort for safety, or vice versa. A number of head and neck guards in the present state of the art have large bulky components that surround the head, neck and shoulders. Although these guards reduce the risk of injury, they add significant weight to the athlete's gear and interfere with the athlete's mobility. Some head and neck guards include elaborate cages or masks around the head that obstruct the athlete's vision. A few head and neck guards include springs or hydraulic pistons that are designed to absorb shocks. Although springs and pistons can dissipate energy during a head collision, they are prone to wear and add significant weight to the equipment. Other head and neck guards provide support only for the rear of the head and neck. The rear support protects the person's head and neck when the head is deflected rearwardly, but fails to provide protection when the head is deflected in other directions.
Head and neck guards in the present state of the art are also costly for the user. Many head and neck guards are designed for specific sports or are compatible only with specific brands of equipment. Individuals who participate in multiple sports must purchase equipment that is specifically designed for each sport. The expense of purchasing separate equipment for each sport can be excessive. In addition to cost, many head and neck guards are difficult to put on and remove. For all of the foregoing reasons it can be seen that head and neck guards in the present state of the art leave much to be desired in the areas of safety, comfort, cost and ease of use.
The protective gear presently used in football has specific drawbacks arising from the extreme level of physical contact in the sport. Football players routinely collide with opponents as part of the game, and a large number of body contacts occur on a player's helmet. Impact forces on a football helmet are directed into the player's head and down through the neck and spine. As a result, compression forces are directly imposed on the neck and spine, creating significant risk of injury. The known football helmets are usually unrestrained other than by a chin strap. Furthermore, the helmets are usually disconnected from other parts on the uniform. These design limitations permit a player's head to deflect in any direction and at a severe angle during a collision with another player. If the player experiences a high speed helmet collision, the collision can cause severe neck injury, including neck hyperextension (rearward deflection of the neck) or neck hyperflexion (forward deflection of the neck). Football players seldom wear padding over their necks, leaving their necks completely exposed. As a result, there is no protection against cuts, abrasions, or other surface injuries on the neck, which can be caused by contact with other players. Nor is there any protection against the effects of cold winds, rain, snow, or other elements.
Most football helmets are secured on the football player's head by a chin strap, which prevents the helmet from being knocked off of the player's head during a helmet collision. The chin strap can rub against the player's chin, collect perspiration, and prove very uncomfortable for the player. This discomfort can discourage players from using chin straps, subjecting the players to a greater risk of head injury. Even when worn, chin straps are not without their own risks, and tightly worn chin straps can actually exacerbate a head injury. The disadvantages of tight chin straps are best understood by appreciating the advantages of a football helmet that slides a small degree on the player's head. To protect a player from head injury, the football helmet must absorb and dissipate energy from the collision before the impact force reaches the player's head. A small amount of sliding between the helmet and the player's scalp is preferable, because the friction between the sliding helmet and the scalp dissipates some of the energy from the helmet collision. A tight chin strap prevents sliding motion of the helmet on the scalp, and energy from the helmet collision travels through the helmet and directly to the players head. Therefore, it is desirable to have a football helmet restraint that secures the football helmet to the head, while avoiding the problems associated with chin straps.